the words you read the air I breathe
by AlwaysPadfoot
Summary: CoffeeShop!AU. Remus can't help but notice her when she comes in to read with a fruity tea.


**AN:** Prompts will be displayed at the bottom to avoid them potentially giving away things.

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 **the words you read; the air I breathe**

 **AlwaysPadfoot**

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Out of his three jobs, Remus loves his barista position the most.

It certainly doesn't pay the most, and he always goes back to his flat rushed off his feet, but his other jobs don't have Hermione.

Hermione, he suspects, is a student at the local university. With endless coils of dark hair usually pushed back with a vibrant-coloured headband, she's unmistakably beautiful. He only knows her name because she uses her library card as a bookmark, and every day she has a book. She pushes the door open with her back, her nose buried in the pages of whatever she brings with her that day, and orders without even looking up from the words she's so hypnotised by. Her order is always the same. One of the cafe's speciality teas that Remus has (most of the time) never tasted before. _Maybe he should branch out_ , he thinks every time she comes in, _especially if the girl likes it so much._

Today is no exception. She comes in, orders a flavoured tea, and then settles into the window seat to read.

He makes her drink as slowly as he can so he can try and build up the courage to say something when he takes it over to her. He still hasn't made a decision on what to say, if anything, when he begins his walk towards her table.

Maybe he should just forget it. A girl like Hermione is never going to look at him the same way as he looks at her. Not with his scarred face and nerdy fashion sense. Not with the topics of conversation he enjoys that never quite sit right with anyone. No one ever wants to talk about Dante's Divine Comedy or Picasso's Guernica.

His palms are sweating just thinking about talking to her. Beyond saying ' _what can I get for you?_ ' He has never ventured into another topic of conversation. As he approaches her table, the autumnal sun shines through the window and makes Hermione even more luminous than usual.

"Hi, one mango and green tea?"

That's when she looks up at him finally. She has beautiful brown eyes and Remus has to force himself to not stare as she smiles.

"Thank you, I really appreciate it," she responds.

It's Remus's cue to leave but he lingers, takes a deep breath, and speaks fast. "Are you a student at the university? You always seem to have a different book when you come in."

"I am; I'm doing a PhD in behavioural psychology," she tells him.

She doesn't look irritated by his interruption at all — it's a good sign.

"That sounds fascinating." It's not even a lie — it truly does sound very interesting. He wants to know more. "What's your thesis on?"

After that conversation flows easily. Hermione speaks with fervent passion regarding her studies and conveys the details of her thesis in such a way Remus can't help but be engrossed.

By five minutes in, he can't actually believe that he had been so worried in the first place because the next thing he knows Hermione is adding him on Facebook and asking if they can meet later after her seminar. And because the last thing he wants to do is go back to his tiny flat and eat a microwavable ratatouille in front of the TV, he agrees without hesitation.

Remus goes back to work with a smile on his face, feeling lighter than air. When Hermione gets up to leave, she stops at the counter to say goodbye.

"Just send me a message when you finish your shift and we'll figure out where to meet," she says.

"Of course," Remus replies, his cheeks a little pink. "See you later, Hermione."

"See you later."

Remus watches her leave, his grin wide and heart racing.

He can't wait for his shift to end.

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 **Comps and Prompts**

 **LiM:** Remus/Hermione

 **IHC:** 441\. Ratatouille - (A spicy french stew)

 **365:** 114\. Emotion - Satisfied

 **SC — Days of the Year** — June 1 2018 - National Doughnut Day: Write a coffee shop!AU

 **SC — Gryffindor Prompts** — Easy: Hermione Granger

 **WC — Character Appreciation** — 14. (trait) studious

 **WC — Cookie's Crafty Corner** — Cast On: Write about characters meeting for the first time.

 **Word Count:** 643


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